At her birthday my seven-year-old daughter will say that she wants these big cakes and certain expensive toys as presents and I can't say no to her. It would just break my heart. But when I was little for birthdays we just played outside and we were happy if we got any cake.

Even when I was a kid I had a good thing with kids. To this day if I go to a birthday party with one of my kids I swear to you I am so much happier hanging out with my kids and their friends than talking to the grown-ups.

The American flag is an enduring symbol of liberty democracy and justice. It is fitting that the House act to protect it as we approach our nation's birthday and as our men and women in uniform rally behind it in Iraq's battlefields.

If there's one thing I really want for my birthday that is for the mining company not to mine my daddy's reserve.

I love having my birthday at Australia Zoo.

All I watch is the Food Network. I took a cheesemaking class a few weeks ago and I told my family and friends to only get me kitchen stuff on my birthday. I'm into every kind of cookbook and anything by Anthony Bourdain. I'd love to own a restaurant if I could find the right chef.

I wasn't very good about juggling family and my career. I was interested in who was coming to the children's birthday party what my son was writing. I was thinking about Legos.

The turning point was when I hit my 30th birthday. I thought if really want to write it's time to start. I picked up the book How to Write a Novel in 90 Days. The author said to just write three pages a day and I figured I can do this. I never got past Page 3 of that book.

There weren't any astronauts until I was about 10. Yuri Gagarin went into space right around my 10th birthday.

I had arranged a birthday party for him and my children who are all Aquarians. Instead we got married. I ran out of excuses. It was just us and my children.